Something Better
by lil'nomdeplume
Summary: My attempt to answer questions left from the Pepperony Scene in Spider-Man Homecoming (with some imagination mixed in!) Don't read if you haven't seen this scene! That last chapter is VERY spoilery! Lots of fluffy goodness!
1. Chapter 1

**Happy Pepperony Reunion Eve to all! Ma'GOD, it's been a long haul, hasn't it?! (Last warning! What I am about to discuss has LOADS of spoilers in it! If there are those that have stayed away from watching Tony and Pepper's scene together until the official release date, I bid you! TURN BACK NOW! All others, proceed...)**

 **NOW then...**

 **After seeing our beloved couple's first scene together since IM3, I HAD to write this, as some very thought-provoking questions came to mind:**

 **1) What could cause these two to reconcile so quickly without need for explanation to the audience (therefore allowing Marvel the ability to do the "explaining" at a later date?) And in such a short amount of time, given the assumed timeline between Civil War and Spidey?**

 **2) What's the "something better" Pepper could be speaking of when she and Tony are trying to come up with what to announce to the press?**

 **3) Does it strike anyone else _odd_ that Pepper is more struck by the fact that Happy carried the ring around for NINE DAMN YEARS in his pocket than the idea that Tony is about to propose to her? Leads me to believe they MIGHT'VE discussed the idea of marriage prior to, doesn't it you? Like, QUITE RECENTLY, perhaps? As a result of discovering her "something better", maybe?**

 **4) And what's with all of these "fatherly" scenarios Tony's been put in all those times over the years, ANYWAY?! ;) It couldn't POSSIBLY be that they're leading us down a trail of breadcrumbs directly toward a..."bun", could they?**

 **Hmmmm...leaves quite a quandry, doesn't it? ;)**

 **Welp. Here's MY guess. (And it IS just a guess! I honestly know NOTHING at this point in time!) Only time will tell if I'm right. And if I'm not- who cares! It was still fun to write!**

 **Happy reading. May true love conquer ALL.**

He'd spotted her the minute he entered the room. The soft, lazy melody of the hired jazz band mixed with the buzz and hum of the other attendees that filled the space provided cover for him in which to easily mix in, and go unnoticed by her. He was back on the West Coast for only a few days, and got word of this event he _knew_ she'd be attending. It was a formal affair, and was the reason why he was dressed in his Armani tux this night. He saw she was in a one shoulder-strapped, fitted black sequined evening gown, with her hair piled high on her head in curls, a few loose locks pulled free to frame her face, looking as stunning and regal as he expected she would. She was chatting with two other women he didn't readily recognize, smiling and laughing, oblivious to his arrival as he moved between the other patrons. And that's the way he wanted it- for the _moment._

It had been so long since he'd been able to just watch her. Like he _used_ to, in all of those fond instances, when, if only for a few seconds, she wasn't yet aware of his eyes on her. _Admiring_ her. _Adoring_ her.

But, predictably, as she had in those times before, she suddenly felt his presence, and glanced upward in his direction, her gaze acknowledging him. _Without_ a smile. He saw her jaw go tight at the realization that they were now occupying the same space, and it appeared to him that she was trying to decide if this was going to be acceptable to her for the duration.

They held each others gaze for several moments as he made his way across the room, weaving in between people, finally turning his eyes away from hers once he'd reached the bar. And without having to even look back at her, he now knew it was _he_ who was being _watched_.

He spoke quietly to the bartender, who nodded and soon put a tumbler of clear liquid in front of him. He took it graciously, brought it to his lips and took a pull from it, instantly noticing she turned away with a look of disapproval when he did it. He smirked knowingly to himself at this, turned outward toward the room, drew another sip of what he was holding in the glass, and casually took in the scene.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her break away from the two women she'd been talking with to make her way through the crowd toward the open french doors leading out to the balcony. So he quickly swallowed the rest of the contents of his glass in one gulp, set the glass on the bar, and followed after her.

Outside, he found her alone, gazing at the city skyline, the chilled nighttime breeze gently blowing through the loose strands of her hair, making each one glint in the moonlight shining down around them. He didn't think she knew he was there at first, but then she spoke, keeping her back turned to him.

"Why are you _here,_ Tony?" she asked, her tone heavy-laden.

He cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pockets, shrugging. "Didn't know we couldn't attend the same parties anymore, Pep. Is that like a _rule, now,_ or something? I guess I wasn't _aware,_ " he replied.

She continued to keep her back to him, her hands on the railing in front of her. "It's a free country. You can go where you like," she remarked, matter-of-fact.

He chuckled. "Apparently _not._ You just asked me why I..."

Pepper huffed in exasperation. "Oh, cut the crap. We _both_ know this wasn't an _accident,_ " she responded pointedly, swiveling around to finally face him, her arms crossed in defense.

He took a step closer to her, his narrowed eyes staring daggers into hers. "Yeah? Well, don't _flatter_ yourself, Pepper," he snarked sharply.

A soft gasp left her lips at how jagged his tone was, and he could see his words had effected her, as a wounded look ghosted over her face. He instantly regretted popping off at her, and pursed his lips in frustration at the tension between them causing him to say things he didn't mean. Even _now,_ after being apart for what felt like an eon.

But then her eyes flashed angrily, and she fired back at him. "Why _would_ I? And, I _saw_ you at the _bar,_ " she sneered.

Tony frowned, feigning confusion. "So _what?"_ he said defensively. "I can't even stand at a _bar,_ now?"

She gave him a snide smile. "All I can say is- old habits die _hard,_ don't they?" she jabbed, her tone righteous.

Tony scoffed and smirked at her. "Joke's on you. That was club _soda_ ," he replied smugly.

Pepper gave him a skeptical look, but kept silent.

His eyebrows shot up. "What? Don't believe me? Feel free to smell my breath. Better yet, _kiss_ me and find out for sure. Whadya' say, Potts? Kill two birds with one stone, and give me a little smooch for old time's sake?" he jabbed back, with a cocky smirk.

Pepper scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, _please,"_ she rebutted in defeat, turning away from him to focus her eyes back out toward the city lights.

"No? Well, suit yourself, then," he said, circling around to her other side to get back into her eye line. "And for your information, I'm _proud_ to say I'm still sober. I guess I'm good for keeping at least _one_ promise to you, huh?" he replied snidely, as he stepped up to the railing to stand beside her.

Pepper huffed in defeat. "I can't say I'm not glad to hear it, so _congratulations,_ " she offered, her voice formal and virtually monotone. "Both for the sobriety, _and_ the promise."

Tony held his tongue in an attempt to quell the impulse to continue to goad her in some sarcastic way, and muttered a polite, "Thank you" instead, before he leaned over to prop his upper body on his elbows on the railing, and let out a heavy exhale. After a moment, he turned his head in her direction. "Look, I know you don't like my being here. I don't expect you to. But how long are you and I gonna do this, huh?" he asked.

"Do _what?"_ she asked flatly, still keeping her gaze from him.

He turned his body to rest on one elbow and gestured between them. " _This,"_ he reiterated. "The... _dance_ we keep doing around each other. We act like there's not enough oxygen to share if we occupy even the same five foot space. Why is it _like_ this? It was _never_ this way with us before. It's only _really_ been since...well,..."

"I'm well _aware_ of when things _changed_ between us, Tony. I don't need a reminder," Pepper interjected defensively.

Tony put his hands up in surrender. "Fine. Whatever. I'm just saying that we..."

" _What?_ We were _together,_ and now we're _not,"_ she stated. Tony detected a hint of regret in her eyes before she let out a sharp exhale, then went on. "It's pretty simple. Happens to people all the time. I don't see the point in..."

"Come on, Pepper. Don't do this," he urged. "This sterilizing, overly- _glib..._ _thing_ you do. Stop trying to back away, and just relax, would'ja? We're only..."

"I'm not being _glib,_ Tony. In fact, I'm just telling it like it _is,_ " she argued, interrupting him.

"Yeah. Only it's _not_ that simple, and you _know_ it," he countered.

" _Isn't_ it?!" she huffed, her temper flaring. "You _made_ your _choice!_ And now you're living with the _consequences,"_ she said, her voice faltering on the last word. " _We're_ living with the consequences. Seems pretty _cut_ and _dried_ to _me!_ "

Tony frowned at how upset she'd become. Pepper sniffed defiantly, and tried to blink back oncoming tears. She pursed her lips, and looked at him in annoyance. " _Damn_ you! This _isn't_ how I pictured this night _going,"_ she informed him. "All I wanted was a chance to forget everything for a few hours, and have a good time. Because, _God,_ it had been _ages_ since I've been able to do that! But, _now,_ thanks to _you,_ I see that's not an option. _Shame_ on me for thinking otherwise _,"_ she said, turning to brush past him and walk inside.

Tony had been working his jaw as she spoke, and, at the last instance, reached out, lightly grasping her arm as she passed him. Pepper stopped in her tracks, her breath catching in her chest. Oddly, she didn't object to him reaching for her. It was almost as if she expected him to. But, none the less, she kept her gaze straight forward, refusing to make eye contact with him.

He was first to turn his eyes, watching her for a moment, internally willing her to look at him. But, he quickly realized she was just going to continue to stubbornly avoid his gaze, so he decided to speak instead. "Pepper, _wait,"_ he murmured. "I didn't come here to ruin your night, okay?"

Finally, she turned her eyes to him, her expression soaked with heartache. "Then I'll ask _again,_ " she said. "Why _are_ you here, _Tony?"_

He turned his body to face her, looking even more intently into the eyes he'd so achingly missed.

Pepper watched as his expression told her the answer to her question more than any words could say. The loneliness in his eyes pierced her with a thousand ice-tipped arrows, and her breath caught in her chest. She felt paralyzed, _helpless._

She felt him pull her closer to him from around the waist, and, as if under its own volition, her body followed in obedience.

Soon, he touched his forehead to hers, their lips millimeters apart, their chests heaving as they continued to stare into each others eyes.

" _Please,"_ he begged in a whisper. " _Tell_ me you still think about us. Even if it's a _lie._ I don't care. I just need to hear you say it."

Pepper squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips together in resistance to the oncoming emotion she found was instantly welling up inside of her from his words. But Tony bent to nuzzle her hair right above her ear. "Come _on,_ Baby. I _know_ you need me, _too,_ " he prodded, his low, rumbly murmur sinking itself deep into her skin. "Because _I_ need _you."_

A sob involuntarily escaped her throat in response, causing her to rush the back of a hand to her mouth as tears began to streak down her cheeks. She swallowed hard, and nodded. "Of _course,_ I do. Don't be ridiculous," she rattled off in breathless reply, before she could stop herself.

Tony gave her a soft, satisfied smile, and nodded as he raised his head to look at her. Pepper instantly regretted revealing this to him, and pulled back, searching his face for any sign he would gloat. But all she could see was a comforted warmth that had replaced the loneliness. It was a familiar look. She'd seen it a thousand times in the past in the moments between them when he'd pulled her close, holding her to him in an act of desperation to find a sense of sanctuary from the world he'd fought so hard to defend, even after it had chewed him up yet again into a million tiny pieces, and cruelly spit him out.

And it was _impossible_ for her to resist.

What remained of her guard immediately crumbled, and she found herself, her _lips,_ gravitating to his, their collective breath hot and wanting as they neared each other. On a seemingly molecular level, she detected the prickling brush of his goatee against her face, and the smooth sensation of his lips touching hers.

"We _can't,_ " she protested in a breathless murmur, though failing to pull herself from the moment. "We _shouldn't."_

Tony gave her a weak smile, and a nod, his eyes flicking from hers to her lips and back again. "I _know,"_ he agreed, his own voice hoarse, and breathy. "So say the word, and we'll _stop."_

But neither of them budged. They just continued to hold this position, their collective resistance hanging in this anguished, self-imposed limbo.

They watched each other, the tips of their noses brushing delicately, affectionately against one another as a preemptive display of intention before Tony caved into his desire first and swiftly ducked his head, taking the plunge and crashing their lips together, his tongue flicking between Pepper's lips as he devoured her mouth. Pepper squeaked hoarsely when he did this, and reached to grip the lapels of his jacket, forcefully yanking him to her to deepen the kiss in return.

They hungrily, desperately clung to each other, unable to squelch the reignited fire between them. It only roared, the flames growing hotter and hotter, minute by minute. Tony's mouth soon moved from Pepper's down to her neck, to which she responded by lolling her head back in invitation and closing her eyes, as she curled herself around him. He cupped the back of her neck, moving his tongue and lips up and down her goose-pimpled skin. Her hand ran up his chest and around the back of his head, her fingers intertwining his hair, pulling him further into her body.

This threatened to drive him to the brink, and he moaned in approval, his hands running up and down her sides and around her back eagerly to feel every inch of her warmth. He brought his lips back up to her ear, nuzzling the space just beneath her ear lobe, and planting a kiss there before murmuring, "I _want_ you, Pepper," in low, raspy growl. _"God,_ do I want you."

She pulled back to look into his eyes, and bit her lower lip. She gave him a weak nod. "I want you, _too,"_ she admitted. Then she swallowed hard. "But what happens if we...can't _stop?"_

Tony thought about the meaning of her words for a moment, and then lowered his head to gaze intently into her eyes. "Then we _don't,"_ he answered, with a sure smile.

Pepper sighed, and closed her eyes, pushing back from him in reluctance and slipping from his grasp. He frowned, looking at her in apprehension.

"Then we can't do this," she told him, her voice heavy with regret. "Because _nothing_ will have changed. There's too much that needs to be settled. We'd be right back where we started."

Tony sighed in defeat, and shoved his hands in his pockets. He cast his eyes downward in thought, wondering why it was so difficult for them to just simply _love_ each other- as they'd always expected to be able to do. Why did the world _always_ have to get in their way? Why couldn't their love just be enough?

Finally, he raised his eyes to look at her in resolution. "Then I'll go," he said. "You're right. This was your night out. I had no right coming here."

Pepper frowned, but then relented and nodded in agreement. "Thank you," she said softly in appreciation.

Tony gave her a weak smile, and turned to go. "You look stunning, by the way," he told her. "I wanted to tell you before."

She gave him a regretful smile, her cheeks blushing at his compliment. "Thank you, _again,"_ she said coyly.

Tony nodded in acknowledgement, and then swiveled around on his heels. But he took one step, and stopped. "Wait," he said, turning back around. "Can I, uh...just ask one favor before I go?" he asked her.

Pepper shrugged. "Sure?" she replied.

He stepped back to where she stood, and extended out a hand in invitation. "Can I get...just one last dance? As _friends?_ " he asked. "Please? You _know_ what it would mean to me."

Pepper frowned, hesitant. She only now noticed the sounds of the live jazz band from inside that had been drifting out to where they were. They were playing a familiar tune, one she was _sure_ they'd danced to before. In fact, she was almost inclined to say Tony had some how _arranged_ this song to be played at some point in the evening. To which she figured he would have asked her to dance anyway. Regardless of the circumstances.

"No, I really don't think we should..." she began.

"Come on, Potts, it's just a dance," he insisted, gently pulling her to him. She stared at him, still wearing the frown, but Tony only smiled softly, his eyes sparkling. And, after a moment, despite her reservation, she couldn't help but relent as he took her into his arms, and they began to sway. He cocked an eyebrow at her, and gave her a knowing smirk.

Pepper tried to stifle a smile in return, and averted her eyes. She cleared her throat, and spoke. "This, um, song sounds familiar," she remarked, as he brought her hand in his to his chest. "Where do I know it from?" she asked.

"It's an old favorite," he replied simply.

Pepper looked at him skeptically. "Was it also a _request?"_ she inquired.

Tony scoffed and looked at her with a frown. "What? _No._ You think that, _besides_ the fact that I showed up to this thing as an uninvited guest, I _also_ arranged for the band to play _this_ _song at this_ particular moment?"

Pepper gave a droll chuckle. "Well, you've orchestrated cheesier moves to try to impress a woman, Tony. So, just answer the question," she insisted.

He looked into her eyes, and studied her face. She gave him a wry, expectant smirk.

Tony cleared his throat, and shook his head. "As much as I'd love to say _yes_ , Potts," he began. "And take credit for an incredibly romantic gesture," he added, making Pepper scoff and roll her eyes. "The answer's _no._ I did _not_. So just chalk this one up to sheer, dumb luck."

Pepper surveyed his expression to see he _was_ actually telling her the truth, then slowly nodded in acceptance. "Okay, I believe you," she said.

Tony nodded. " _Good,"_ he said. "You _should."_ They fell silent for a moment, as they swayed back and forth to the rhythm. Tony began to work his jaw in thought, and then spoke again. "You... _could_ call it kismet, though. If you were so inclined," he offered.

"What do you mean? What should I call _kismet_?" she asked.

"The _song?_ Playing while we just _happened_ to be out here _alone?_ _D_ _ancing?_ Why am _I_ the one noticing the romantic..." Tony said, frowning as he paused to find the words. " _P_ _arallels_ the universe has..."

"It's a old _favorite,_ Tony. As you said. Which is another term for a _standard_ in the jazz world. So, I'm sure it's on every hired jazz band's set list," she reasoned. " _Hardly_ serendipitous."

"But in all the gin joints in all the world," Tony began, feebly trying to recite the line from Casablanca. "Why'd they have to play it at _this_ one?" he teased, reverting back to his regular voice.

Pepper giggled. "If _that's_ your idea of a Humphrey Bogart impression, I'd say don't quit your day job," she teased back. Tony spluttered at her teasing him, and chuckled, his eyes glittering in delight.

She laughed again, happy to see him in good spirits. It had been so long since they'd laughed together, and it made her realize how much she missed these kinds of moments with him.

Soon after, they'd gone quiet, and found each other gazing into each others eyes as they continued to steadily sway to the music. "Well, I don't care _what's_ playing," Tony murmured softly. "I'm just glad I'm here with you right now."

A coy smile spread across Pepper's mouth, and her cheeks reddened at his words. She bashfully averted her eyes again, and he smiled at making her blush.

He watched as she eventually brought her eyes back up to meet his. But he noticed they were a little glassy, and he looked at her curiously. "What? What'd I say?" he asked with trepidation.

Pepper bit her lips together, and took a step back, and out of his grasp. "Nothing. I just...I...should go," she murmured.

He frowned. "What?" he asked. "Why? I thought we were..."

"I _can't,_ Tony," she explained, waving her hands back and forth in dismissal. "I promised myself that I wouldn't... _allow_ us to...not unless..." she stammered, backing away. A sob escaped her throat, and she brought a hand to her chest.

He reached for her, but, again, she stepped out of his grasp. "Pepper, _please,_ " he begged. "I know this is sudden, and not at _all_ what you were expecting, but..."

"I _love_ you, Tony," she told him. "That won't _change."_

He smiled, in spite of the gravitas of the situation. "I love you, _too,_ Pepper. More than anything in the _world,"_ he assured, his voice hushed and eyes gazing deeply into hers.

But she shook her head. "Maybe _not_ more than _anything,_ Tony, _"_ she countered. She took the rest of the steps backwards to reach the doors, keeping her eyes on his for a moment longer, before swiveling around on her heels and disappearing back inside, leaving him stung and reeling on the balcony. _Alone._


	2. Chapter 2

Tony stood by the living room window, watching as rain dotted the glass outside. Pepper had quickly left the party, and so did he, only to return to the lonely solitude of the home they'd built together. The familiar ache of her absence had greeted him promptly at the door, as it had so many times since they'd separated, and followed him as he'd made his way through the foyer into the living room. He'd yanked impatiently at the knot in his bow tie, and jerked the piece of silk from around his neck, pausing momentarily as his eye was caught by the wet bar in temptation. "Nope. Sorry. Not even _now,_ " he'd grumbled, denying the hinting urge creeping up in his brain to pour himself something to numb the pain. _A promise is a promise,_ he reminded himself.

He'd tossed the tie onto the sofa as he passed, and exhaled sharply, shoving his hands in his pockets once he reached the window, affixing his eye on the turbulent ocean in the distance. Thunder clapped angrily in response to the streaking lightening flashes across the sky, coming every few seconds. And even though he appeared to be watching what was going on, his mind wasn't registering the display. It was still at the party, with _her._ He swore he could still feel her body in his arms, and taste her kiss on his lips. _God,_ it seemed like it had been so long since the last time he'd felt this, though they'd only been apart a matter of weeks. But that didn't matter. He was positively _starved_ for her love. He was sure of that now. He knew the hole her absence had eaten through his heart would _never_ heal over. But he thought he'd learned at least to live with the pain. That _was,_ until _tonight._ He'd shamelessly done a heaping dose of the drug, and now was jonesing for more, his body becoming desperate to keep up this intoxicating high.

 _And I thought booze was hard to kick,_ he mused. _But love is a THOUSAND times harder._

"What was I _thinking?"_ he murmured to himself.

"Sir?" FRIDAY suddenly answered. "Do you require something? Did you need my assistance?"

Tony gave a weak smile, and shook his head. "No, it's nothing, FRIDAY. I just..." he paused to reflect for a moment before continuing. "Why did I think I was strong enough to take it? One taste, and I'm instantly trying not to drown in the very thing I've been fighting to avoid."

"Not much avoidance happening when you make a point of going straight to the source in the first place, Boss," FRIDAY pointed out.

Tony chuckled regretfully.

"And I assume it went..." the AI continued.

"Not...as _planned,_ " Tony answered carefully.

"I see," Friday said simply. "Care to elaborate?"

He raised a hand to rub the bridge of his nose, and squeezed his eyes shut. "Nope. Not really into doing a recap at the moment " he replied. "Maybe tomorrow, huh? Right now I just wanna..."

Suddenly, he was interrupted by a knock at the door. Tony raised his head in alarm and froze, staring at the door. "Uh, are we expecting _g_ _uests, FRIDAY?_ " he asked, his voice thick with apprehension and annoyance.

"I was asked not to announce this visitor, Boss," Friday answered.

Tony frowned in disapproval, and swiveled on his heels toward the door. He kept his hands in his pockets, but walked briskly to the entrance, his being perturbed at being bothered growing with each step. When he reached the door, he put his hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath, before turning it to reveal his late night caller.

There, on the landing, stood a very drenched Pepper Potts, the hood of her long, beige trench coat pulled over her head. Her mascara had tracked under her eyes, and a bit down her cheeks, and she was shivering.

Tony eyed her in surprise for a moment, speechless. "P-Pepper?" he finally stammered. "What are you doing..."

"The _song,_ " she said. "I remembered what it was."

Tony just stared blankly at her, trying to comprehend the reason why she felt the need to come all the way there just to report this to him.

Pepper took a step closer to him. " _'What'll I do'_ ," she said simply. "That was it, wasn't it? Tony?"

His expression broke into a soft smile, and he gently nodded. " _Yes,_ " he murmured. "It _was,_ but..." he paused, swallowing hard. "Was... _that_ the only reason why you came all the way out here? Just to tell me you remembered the name of the song we danced to?"

Pepper hesitated for a moment, and then shook her head. "No," she said softly.

Tony watched as her resolve began to crumble, first starting with the quivering of her chin, and then a quiet sob that escaped her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, and two tears leaked out from behind her lids and rolled down her cheeks as her shoulders began to shake. He sighed, heavy-hearted at the sight of seeing her in such obvious pain, and pulled her into his arms. She let him, and laid her head on his shoulder, facing inward, as she continued to softly weep.

"I don't really know why I'm here right now," she murmured, after a moment. "Honestly. I didn't expect this to happen tonight. I thought I was strong enough to handle it, but..." she explained.

Tony smiled in understanding. "You don't owe me an explanation, Pep," he assured her softly. "But for what it's worth? I'm _really_ glad you came."

Pepper melted further into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his middle. He began rubbing soothing circles on her back in an attempt to calm her. Several quiet moments passed like this, before a loud clap of thunder startled her, and she squeaked in surprise before quickly breaking away from him. Then she promptly blushed at her skittishness, and gave him a sheepish smile. He chuckled lovingly at her, and raised a hand to toy with a drenched tendril of her hair that had fallen down.

"Jesus, Pep. You look like you _walked_ here," he informed her, eyeing the state of her appearance.

She sniffed, and nodded reluctantly at his observation. "Well, when I was waiting for the valet to bring my car, it started pouring rain. I guess I was so _stunned_ by what had just happened between us that I...barely noticed," she replied. She gave him a weak smile, and a one-shouldered shrug.

Tony extended a hand. "Come on. Come with me. Let's get you out of those wet clothes, huh?" he offered, but quickly stopped himself, and winced. "Wait. That came out wrong. I just meant that..."

Pepper held up a hand in reassurance. "Don't worry. I know what you meant," she assured him. "And thank you. I'm freezing."

Tony smirked in amusement, and took her hand, leading her into the living room. "Help yourself," he said, gesturing up the stairs toward the bedroom. "Everything's still in the same place as you left it."

Pepper detected a hint of wistful sadness in his voice, which he promptly hid by clearing his throat and turning away from her to walk back over to the window. But she stood where she was for a moment longer, and then slowly turned to face him. "Tony?" she called softly.

"Hmmm? Yeah, Pep?" he replied, spinning around on his heels to face her, giving her an attentive smile.

Pepper smiled softly back, and fiddled nervously with the cuff of her coat sleeve. "Thank you, again," she said. "For...letting me..."

But Tony cut her off as he held up a hand, and waving it in dismissal. "There's no need. You're welcome here any time. You _always_ are," he replied. "It's _still_ your home, too. No matter _what._ "

The sincerity of his words strummed a chord on her heart strings, and she found it hard to keep down another sob that rose in her chest. She brought a balled fist to her lips, and strode quickly to him. Tony watched as she approached, a faint frown ghosting over his brow, as he was unsure of her intentions until she cupped his cheek in her hand, and earnestly planted her lips on his in a simple, gracious kiss.

A moment later, when it broke, Pepper smiled at him, and he slowly opened his eyes to smile at her. They shared a loving gaze as Pepper moved her thumb to stroke his lips gently with its pad, to which Tony responded with an affectionate kiss to it. She smiled. "I'll, uh...just go upstairs, and..." she began.

Tony nodded and waved a hand. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll just..." he paused to clear his throat and then continued. "I'll be here. Take your time. There's, um...there's no rush," he assured her.

Pepper nodded and smiled as she turned to head upstairs. Tony watched as she walked away, barely able to keep concealed the smile that was a result from his heart thundering ecstatically in his chest from her sudden arrival.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Tony had gone back to watching the rain outside, as he anxiously waited for Pepper to emerge from the bedroom. Minutes later, he heard her start down the stairs, and he spun around to see she'd run a comb through her wet hair, washed off her running mascara, and elected to wear not something from her own side of the closet, but _his._ His favorite gray MIT t-shirt, in fact. And nothing _else,_ as it was large enough to hit her mid-thigh. He smiled at the sight, and she saw this and smiled back as she walked over to him.

"I...figured you probably wouldn't mind if I..." she began bashfully.

Tony spluttered. "Are you _kidding?_ I would have offered it first thing if I would have know that you wanted to..." he said, pausing to gesture at her. Then he exhaled sharply, and shoved his hand back in his pants pocket. "You look... _beautiful,"_ he finished. "And it's funny. I...guess I've missed you raiding my side of the closet," he joked.

Pepper giggled, and toyed with the bottom hem playfully. "Well, it always _was_ one of my favorites," she replied.

They smiled at each other, and Tony nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Mine, _too._ It's even better on _you,_ though," he teased.

Pepper giggled again. Tony smiled, and then slowly extended an arm out to her, pulling her to him from around the waist. Pepper let him, and he then wrapped his other arm around her protectively. They rested their foreheads on one another, and smiled lovingly at each other.

After a moment, Pepper spoke. "I'm sure you still want to know why I suddenly showed up here," she asked.

Tony closed his eyes, and exhaled softly. "A small part of me _does_ _,_ I guess, yeah," he admitted. He then raised his head, and opened his eyes to look at her. "But I meant what I said. You don't owe me an explanation. Honestly, Pep. I'm just glad you're here. That's all I want right now. I don't care about all of the other stuff. I just _need you_."

Pepper smiled softly. "All the same, I can't just show up on your doorstep after walking out on you at a party, and not expect you to ask any questions, Tony."

"A party I _crashed,_ Pepper. Can't forget _that_ part," he reasoned.

She chuckled. "Fair enough," she agreed. "But none the less, there's so much that needs to be _said._ And I guess I just got tired of not _saying_ it."

Tony frowned, not sure of her meaning. But he kept quiet, and waiting patiently for her to start speaking again. "No matter how hard I try, I can't get out of my mind the fact that I still wake up every morning reaching to your side of the bed, thinking you'll be there, sleeping next to me. I _still_ can't wait to tell you about my day when I get home, and then I remember that I'll be alone, and not _here._ With _you,"_ she began.

Tony shrugged. "It was part of our routine, Pep. And it just means you have to get used to it going back to the way it was _before,"_ he offered.

Pepper looked at him glumly.

He nodded in understanding. "I know. Easier said than done," he replied. "But if I'm being honest, I catch myself doing the same thing all the time."

She gave him a hopeful look. "You _do?"_ she asked.

"Mmm hmm," he affirmed. "Every day, at 6:00, I...keep thinking you'll walk through that door any minute, home from work. That I'll come up the stairs from the shop just in time for you to pad over to me to kiss me hello, and I'll..." Tony suddenly stopped, his expression falling.

"You'll _what?_ What were you going to say?" Pepper urged.

But he just shrugged. "I really _miss_ that, Pep. The drudgery of the day would instantly slough off the second I saw you, and I could just..." He took a deep breath. " _Relax,"_ he stated. "Because that meant it was our time to spend together every day. To let go, and do what we _wanted_ _,_ you know?"

Pepper smiled, and nodded. "I know very _well,"_ she replied. "It's like our evenings were _sacred."_

Tony smiled at her description, and nodded. "Yeah, they were. Not to mention _weekends,"_ he told her. " _God, we_ _lived_ for the weekends, _didn't_ we?"

Pepper chuckled, and blushed, knowing fully his meaning. Even after being a couple for the last few years, the fiery passion they'd had for each other had never let up. Not _once._ And it had become a source of pride between them- if they were both being honest- that their desire was still as wild and untamed as it was during the first time they'd made love. They'd remained _crazy_ about each other, even right up to the end.

Tony gazed at her in silence for a moment, a fond, reminiscent smile ghosting over his lips. But this was quickly replaced by a look of forlorn regret, and he took a step back from her. Still, however, he kept his hands on her sides. "You, uh...you said you came over here because you have things you wanted to say?" he asked.

Pepper smiled awkwardly, and let out a sharp exhale. "Uh, yeah. _Yes._ I... _wow,_ okay," she stammered. Tony frowned but remained silent.

She chewed her lip in thought for a moment, and furrowed her brows. "It's funny," she began. "I've thought about how this would go a million times, and was _sure_ I could get through it, but..."

Tony frowned. "Get through... _what,_ Pep?" he asked apprehensively. "We're just _talking,_ right? What is there to _get through?"_

Pepper gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's...a _bit_ more complicated than that, I'm afraid," she replied sadly.

His eyes widened. "What's wrong?" he asked, ducking his head to look intently into her eyes in concern. "Is it something with the company?" he guessed. "Wait. Are you...trying to tell me you're..." His chest started to heave. "You're not _quitting_ _,_ are you? _Seriously?_ Over the stuff between us?" he said, gesturing back and forth between them, with a look of disbelief. "Come on. We can work this out. Come to some kind of agreement, right? It doesn't have to interfere. We'll be strictly professional, from here on in. I _swear._ I mean...you can't _do_ this. I _need you._ I mean the _company!_ The _company_ needs you! You're the best thing that's ever _happened_ to me. To _it,_ I mean!" He paused to huff in frustration. "Damn it! What do I keep doing that?! You know what I _mean,_ though, right? Just give it a chance! It hasn't been that _long,_ Pep! They say time can heal all wounds. So if that's what it takes, _then..."_

Pepper exhaled sharply and pursed her lips, staring at him, waiting for him to stop talking. Tony saw this, and took the cue, stopping mid sentence. He pursed his lips as well, and frowned, dejected. "Come on, Pep. _Tell_ me you're not quitting," he begged, his voice a low, pleading rasp.

She slowly shook her head. "I'm not quitting," she replied simply.

Slowly a smile spread over Tony's lips, and he sighed heavily in relief. He reached out for her again, pulling him to her in a hug, wrapping her tightly in his arms. Pepper wrapped her arms around him, too.

"Thank _God,_ " he said. "I'm not sure I could take it."

Pepper chuckled. " _Apparently,"_ she teased, pulling back to give him a sympathetic smile. "But that's _good_. That makes things a little easier for me, I'll admit."

Tony worked his jaw for a moment, narrowing his eyes at her in thought. "Mmmm-kay. So you're not _leaving,_ which automatically rules out my _next_ guess."

Pepper quirked an eyebrow at him. "Which _is_ _?"_ she asked.

"Joining the circus," he said, matter-of-fact, making Pepper splutter and giggle. "Al- _though,"_ he went on, giving her a flirty smirk. "During some of our steamier sessions, one could _easily_ mistake you for a _contortionist,_ _"_ he purred.

Pepper giggled again and averted her eyes, her reddening cheeks becoming more and more crimson by the millisecond. He chuckled at her in response, but quickly feigned trying to get serious again in order to continue his inquiry, clearing his throat loudly in an attempt to get things back on track.

"Any- _who,"_ he began again. "So you're not leaving, _especially_ not to join the circus," he teased, and Pepper laughed. He smiled, and then reached for her left hand. "And there's no _ring,_ so you've not come to tell me you're getting married."

Pepper chuckled and shook her head. "Nope. It's not that," she agreed.

Tony shrugged. "So, I don't know, Pep. I'm coming up empty. What else _is_ there to tell me?"

Pepper's smiled faded, and she swallowed hard. She raised her eyes to his, looking into them deeply. Tony was smiling jovially at her until she did this. Then his face fell in concern, seeing the obvious stress that whatever she had to tell him was putting her under. "Pep?" he said softly, simultaneously bracing himself. "What _is_ it?"

He could see tears start to fill her eyes, which made his heart plummet into his shoes. _All of this joking around like an insensitive jackass, and it's actually something serious!_ he thought. Then panic struck him with an icy cold stab. _My_ _GOD!_ _What if it's something like...like..._

His mind quickly flickered back to 2010, when the biggest secret he could keep from her- that he was _dying-_ was also the one thing he just couldn't manage to form the words for, and actually _say_ to her. S _he's braver than I ever was! At least she's here, standing in front of me to say it!,_ he thought.

He reached for her hand, and brought to his chest. "Pepper, whatever it _is,_ we'll get through it, baby," he assured her. "We'll _beat_ this. I promise. I'll do whatever it takes. We'll get the best doctors. I'll develop whatever tech we've got to develop. We'll beef up the medical research department! Dedicate it _strictly_ to finding a cure! I _swear!_ I'm not gonna let you..."

Pepper huffed again, and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before looking back up at him. "Can you _please_ stop babbling for one second? This is hard enough as it is!" she cried.

Tony winced. "Right. Sorry," he replied.

Pepper exhaled and redoubled her resolve. "I'm not _dying,"_ she told him.

Tony exhaled in relief. "You're _not,"_ he said, his eyes searching hers for added confirmation.

Pepper tearfully shook her head. " _No,"_ she murmured, her voice giving out from the emotional strain. "I'm _pregnant."_

 _ **Quick note: "What'll I do" (the version sung by Nat King Cole) is the song Pepper was talking about. Check it out, if you feel so inclined. It's LOVELY.**_


	3. Chapter 3

Tony froze in response to her words, his only movement being the heaving of his chest from his suddenly ragged breath. All he could do was stare at her with wide eyes. _Blankly._

Pepper looked at him with increasing concern, her own chest beginning to mimic the movement of his. " _Tony?"_ she said. Her chin began to quiver. " _Please!_ Say _something!_ I can't take the..."

Suddenly, her speech was halted by him muttering, "Come here," before crashing their lips together. Pepper squeaked in surprise, and then instantly melted into the embrace, with Tony's hands cupping both sides of her face at first and then sliding down to envelop her in a tight, protective hug. The kiss deepened, and the two of them moaned in relief from their collective tension being released.

Eventually, the kiss eased in momentum, and they slowed to a stop. They simultaneously opened their eyes, their foreheads resting on one another's. Pepper grinned in surprise at his unexpected, seemingly _thrilled_ reaction.

" _Really?_ You're _pregnant?"_ he purred, followed by a giddy grin. "You're _sure?"_

Pepper chuckled. " _Yes_ _,"_ she purred back. "As the day is _long."_

Tony then raised his head to look at her squarely, and cocked an eyebrow. "So does the _father_ know?" he quipped, giving her an inquisitive look. Pepper giggled, and gave him a playful smack on the shoulder.

"Um, in my telling you this, it's safe for you to assume that _you're_ the father? So..." she teased, playing along.

Tony eyes went wide as he feigned surprise. "Oh, _I_ am!" he said, pointing to himself. "Oh- _kay,_ then! _Now_ we've got something to celebrate!" he joked. They both giggled. He then leaned in to give her lips another lingering peck.

When the kiss broke, Pepper raised her head to look into his eyes, and he smiled adoringly back, the sparkle that had left all those weeks ago quickly returning en force.

"I take it you're happy about this?" Pepper commented, giving him a wry, knowing smirk.

" _Nope,_ not happy,"Tony countered, making her look at him curiously. "I'm _ecstatic."_

Pepper giggled again at him teasing her. _"_ _Good,"_ she cooed, leaning in for another kiss. Tony kissed her back, and then they grinned at each other. "But you can understand, though, why I'd have some reservations about breaking the news to you?" she asked, reaching up to absent-mindedly fiddle with a button on his dress shirt.

"Yeah, I get it. And if it were any _other_ girl, I'd be hightailing it to Mexico, right now," he joked, making her laugh out loud. "But it's _you,_ honey. It's _us._ Just more proof that we're..." he took a moment to find the words. "Meant to _be,"_ he said finally, gazing intently into her eyes.

Pepper smiled lovingly back at him, as new tears threatened her eyes. "I love you so much," she murmured.

Tony smiled, and took a moment to raise a thumb to her cheek to wipe away an arrant tear before answering. "I love you, _too,"_ he replied. "And, _God,_ I've missed you."

They shared a quiet, loving gaze for a few moments, before Tony couldn't fight the urge any longer to speak what was rushing to the forefront of his mind. He set his jaw, and looked deeply into her eyes. "Marry me," he said.

Pepper pulled back, and looked at him with a curious smile. "What?" she asked.

"Marry me," he said again. "Isn't _that_ what feels _right_ right now? We're having a baby, so let's..." he paused, and exhaled. "Do this the _right_ way, huh?"

"Tony, people can have babies without getting _married,"_ Pepper explained wryly. "Don't feel like you have to rush into anything just because _we're_..."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I _know_ that. And I'm _not,"_ he replied. "I just...I want to do _right_ by you. By..." he paused to point at her belly, which made her smile. " _Junior,_ there. So...whad'ya _say,_ Pep?" he asked. He gave her a smolder, and she rolled her eyes and giggled. "Wanna make it official? Take this guy off the market for good? Put me out to pasture? Retire my jersey?"

Pepper held up a hand in objection. "Alright, that's quite enough of _that,"_ she answered, with a smirk. "And might I say, in the way of romantic proposals, you're not exactly batting a _thousand,_ currently."

Tony nodded, and clucked his tongue, letting her loose from his embrace. "Got it. I'm forgetting a couple of things, here, aren't I?"

Pepper chuckled. "You could say that, yes," she answered with a smirk. She watched as he then slowly got down on one knee in front of her, and she bit her lips together to keep the sudden flutter of butterflies in her stomach from causing a massive dopey, girly grin to be plastered across her face.

He raised his eyebrows for approval. " _Better?"_ he asked.

Pepper chuckled. "You're getting there," she told him, with a wry smirk.

Tony then furrowed his brow, and cleared his throat, taking her left hand in the both of his and looking up at her, trying to keep a straight face. "Pepper?" he said. " _Marry_ me."

She didn't answer directly, but waited a moment. But soon, realizing he apparently thought he was finished, she cocked an eyebrow. "That's _it?_ That's all your gonna..."

"Well, I'm trying to keep it short and sweet, here, baby. Get right to business," he argued.

"Uh- _huh,"_ she replied. "So no bothering with sentiment. You're just passing go and collecting your $200..."

"Well, I haven't exactly had a lot of time to _plan_ anything more flowery. So, yeah. I'm kinda going off the cuff..." he explained.

"Okay? I _suppose?_ But aren't you still forgetting one _itty-bitty,_ yet pretty important detail?" she asked.

Tony frowned. "Uh..." he said, looking around cluelessly, and then narrowed his eyes. "What, like...a string quartet or something? Help me out here, honey."

Pepper raised her left hand in front of him, and wiggled her ring finger, wincing.

Tony's eyes widened and he snapped his fingers in realization. "A _ring!_ Right! I knew that," he quickly defended.

Pepper chuckled. " _Did_ you now?" she quipped back. "Not much of a proposal without one, Tony. Guess our engagement will just have to be put on hold until _you_ can find me one," she teased.

Tony scoffed as he stood back up to face her. "Oh, I've _got_ a ring," he said, with a smug smirk.

Pepper frowned in confusion. "What?! No, you _don't._ How _could_ you?! We've only just _now..."  
_

"What makes you think I haven't thought about marrying you before _tonight?"_ he challenged, looking at her with a mischievous smile.

Pepper gasped, and then smiled in delight. "What are you saying? That you've had one for...a _while?"_

He teeter-tottered his from side to side. "Yeah, a ' _while'_ is a fair description. Circa..." he shrugged. "1990? Somewhere around there?"

Pepper frowned again as she tried to work out what he was talking about. "Wait," she said. "Are you talking about the ring you used to keep in the safe in the old house all of those years ago? Your mother's engagement ring?"

Tony just pumped his eyebrows and grinned.

Pepper looked at him in surprise. "I'd forgotten all _about_ it! I haven't seen it in _ages!"_ she informed him.

Tony nodded in the affirmative. "And there's a _reason_ for that," he told her.

Pepper chuckled and shook her head. "It's... _huge,_ Tony! It's _beautiful,_ don't get me wrong, but it's..."

"Hard to _miss._ I _know,"_ he agreed, chuckling. _"_ But it's a family heirloom. Ma gave it to me to someday give to the woman I want to spend my life with," he told her, taking her around the waist again, and pulling her to him. "And let's just say that _yes._ I've known for a _while_ that that's _you_."

Pepper grinned at him with a dreamy, teary-eyed look. "Oh, _Tony!"_ she cooed, her voice warbling with the onset of new tears.

Tony grinned back at her, and bent to capture a kiss. Pepper swiftly kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and instantly deepening it. They both moaned blissfully.

When the kiss broke, they were both a little breathless, and Pepper chuckled at how eager they both were. She was still in his arms, and Tony gave her an affectionate squeeze. She laid her hands on his chest, and looked into his eyes. " _So?"_ she asked, her voice giddy, "Are we really doing this? Are we making it official tonight?"

Tony hesitated and then winced, inhaling sharply through his teeth. "Uh, yeah. I _would,_ but..."

Pepper pulled back. "Don't tell me you've already got cold feet!" she said, trying to maintain a joking tone, but unable to keep a lilt of worry out of her voice.

Tony spluttered and shook his head. "No. _Definitely_ not," he assured her. "I'm _going_ to propose. It's just...Problem _is...I_ don't currently _have_ the ring _,"_ he replied reluctantly.

She frowned at him, confused. "Then who _does?"_ she asked.

Tony winced again, hesitating. "Yeah, let's just back up here," he said. "I told you I wanted to do this right, and I meant it. I mean, there's _gotta_ be _some_ element of spontaneity to this, right?"

"Me coming here out of the blue to tell you we're having a baby, and you suddenly deciding to propose isn't _spontaneous_ enough for you?" Pepper countered.

Tony held up a hand in objection. "Hey! Like I _said!_ There's _nothing_ sudden about my wanting to ask you to marry me, okay? _Believe_ me," he argued, rolling his eyes at the thought of just how long he really _had_ waited. "But _this_ isn't what I pictured this moment _being,_ Pep. I just want it to be _perfect._ It needs to be...an _occasion,_ don't you think? Something we'll both remember for the rest of our lives."

Pepper gave him an apprehensive look. "Oh, _God,"_ she muttered.

Tony smirked, and gave her a loving squeeze around the waist. "Noooo, come _on,"_ he urged. "It'll be great. Trust me. You'll see."

"Uh- _huh,"_ Pepper replied skeptically. "How many times have I heard _that_ before?"

He chuckled. "I _know,_ but I _promise._ I'll make it worth the wait," he assured her. But then he quickly recanted. "But not _too_ long of a wait," he said, looking down and nodding in the direction of her stomach. "We want this to happen before people become aware you're carrying _M_ _ini-me,_ right?" he asked.

Pepper giggled and shook her head. " _Again_ with this?" she said. "It's the twenty-first century, Tony! People have babies out of wedlock all the _time._ And why am _I_ suddenly the progressive one? Since _when_ do _you_ have a taste for tradition?" she teased.

"All the _same._ You _know_ how these things go. We wait too long and people, one way or the other, will get wind that you're pregnant. And then they'll say I knocked up my CEO, so now that means we'll have a 'shot gun wedding'," Tony pointed out.

"And I care what people say, _why?"_ Pepper contented.

"You don't. But in this instance, _I do,_ okay? Just take it as I'm just trying to show some responsibility with this. Out with the old and in with the new. I want _you_ , _and_ our baby, to get the respect you both _deserve,"_ he told her.

Pepper relented, and an admiring smile crept over her lips. "Well, look who's grown _up,"_ she mused.

Tony gave her a proud grin, followed promptly by a cocky smirk. "That's right, baby. I'm an upgraded unit. Better get used to it," he quipped.

Pepper rolled her eyes, and giggled again. "Mmmmm, _shop_ talk. _Such_ a turn on," she purred dramatically, teasing him.

Tony chuckled back. "I _know,_ right? Gets _me_ going every time," he replied, making her laugh out loud.


	4. Chapter 4

"What's the big announcement? What am I going to tell them?" Pepper asked Tony worriedly as they stood outside the press room of the Avengers compound in upstate New York. The stress of having called multi-media outlets together that day, and Peter Parker suddenly becoming a no-show had crept up on her quite unexpectedly, and she was trying desperately to scramble something together that would suffice.

"Think of something. How 'bout, um..." Tony spouted. Then he turned to his faithful friend and Head of Security. "Happy? You still got that ring?"

Happy's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Do I... uh...are you kidding?! I've been carrying this around since 2008!" he spluttered, fumbling through his pockets before suddenly producing it, holding it up to them proudly.

Tony and Pepper both froze- each with a look of befuddlement as to _why_ Happy would have had it so readily available, and for so _long._

"Oh-oh- _kay?_ " Tony stammered.

Pepper turned her eyes back to Tony's. "I _think_ I can think of something better than _that,"_ she stated simply, sure he would get her meaning.

"Well, it would buy us enough _time,"_ Tony replied, trying to counter her eagerness to announce her pregnancy with his argument for showing the world he truly _had_ turned over a new leaf.

 _Still sticking with the responsible, traditional approach, I see,_ Pepper thought, just before she stepped to him and swiftly kissed his lips, unable to help the sense of pride and admiration for the man that Tony had become.

"Like we _need_ time," Tony mumbled into the kiss, acknowledging that not only did they _not_ need more time to start their lives together (already so much had gone by), but that now time was of the essence for the pure and simple fact that he was _sure_ Pepper would start showing any day, and blow their happy news before they'd have a chance to formally announce it.

He saw a giddy smile ghost over her lips just after she broke off the kiss, and he watched as she hurriedly turned around to march back into the room.

"I can't _believe_ you've had that thing in your pocket," she muttered as she yanked the door open, clearly still very confused by Happy's motive, but _overjoyed_ that he'd met the moment so perfectly for them.

"Want me to get the door for you, Hon?" Tony asked, following quickly behind her, but pausing long enough to give Happy one last look of confusion as to why he would elect to carry the ring with him all of these years, rather than just store it for safe keeping as he'd originally instructed him to do. None the less, it was show time. So he grabbed the door handle, and swiveled to catch the ring as Happy tossed it to him before he disappeared behind the doors to ask the love of his life- before God, the world, _and_ international media- to be his wife.

Happy just turned around and smiled knowingly to himself as he walked away. _'Bout damn time,_ he thought.


End file.
